Synchronicity

Synchronicity sounds like some kind of Quincy mind power of Uryuu Ishida. In actuality, it's a far more interesting concept than that. You know when some seemingly random thing pops up, and then it pops up again and again? And when you think about it, its too specific to be a coincidence, but too bizarre to have any real significance?

Carl Jung, the Swiss psychologist who founded analytical psychology, developed the concept of synchronicity. According to my best friend Wikipedia, it's defined as "the experience of two or more events as meaningfully related whereas they are unlikely to be causally related." Jung considered these meaningful coincidences evidence of a collective unconsciousness that is inherited and shared by members of the same species. It's both intriguing and unnerving to think that we could all be connected at some deep, unconscious level. Think of the implications if a person could access or influence the human collective unconsciousness. If I were an evil mastermind plotting to rule the world, I'd definitely be looking into it. 

I've experienced several blatant examples of synchronicity in my life, the most recent being centered around a cosmic monster with a hard-to-pronounce name: Cthulhu. I'd never heard of it before about a year ago when my husband told me about a video game called The Call of Cthulhu. Later, I watched an episode of South Park featuring Cthulhu that mimicked "My Friend Totoro." It was seriously funny even though as a fan of Studio Ghibli I was a bit offended. Then a few months later, I downloaded a collection of stories by H. P. Lovecraft, considered by many to be the father of modern horror. I was surprised to find that he wrote The Call of Cthulhu in 1928. The story was rather short compared to some of his others, but was just as wonderfully horrible. 

And it continues. Just a few weeks ago my son was playing a different game where he had to fight the eye of Cthulhu. So the question is, what does it mean? What, if anything, is the collective human unconsciousness trying to tell me? Should I seek out and join the cult of Cthulhu? I'm sure there's worse things than swearing allegiance to an ancient evil octopus-faced beast. But as awesome as that sounds, I think I'll hold off for now and keep my options open. I've always had an affinity for Mothra.

Jess

"Searchers after horror haunt strange, far places." - H.P. Lovecraft